“Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.”
Robert Orben

I read once that while you are trying to lose weight, you shouldn’t get on a scale everyday. I’d have to disagree with that. I understand the reason they give that advice. For weight loss, one might think the natural weight up and down of the body might be a discouragement. Instead, I think I need to check it everyday. I think the fact that I check it out in the morning will be motivation throughout the day to successfully stay on track. I guess I need the reminder everyday, so I can stay focused. I’ve found that if I don’t check it out for a while, I end up getting mad when I do check it because I haven’t been doing as well as I should. If I check it everyday, I know exactly where I’m at and if I need to work harder. It’s those times where I need to work harder is where I see the most benefit. For example, If I see I’ve gained a pound or two, I can immediately stop and think about what I’m doing. But, if I don’t realize that for over a week, I might have already gained four or five pounds.
I think this exact same thing applies to my financial situation as well. As long as I’m consistently putting my receipts into my money spreadsheet, and keeping track of the money I’m spending, I know where I’m at, and I won’t make any financial mistakes (or at least, as many mistakes). But, as soon as I skip a little bit of time, I lose track of where I’m at, and I’m liable to make mistakes that will cost me a bunch of money. I think this is one of my biggest problems, especially using the debit card and getting overdraft fees. I’ve also found that the less money I have, the more I’m liable to lose that consistency and i don’t look at my money spreadsheet. The only solution I have for this is to check my spreadsheet, and update my money spreadsheet, as often as I possibly can.
I guess what I’m saying is that the constant reminder of where I am now in both my financial and physical situations is in fact a motivator instead of a discouragement. I think the knowledge of where I’m exactly out gives me the opportunity to make more realistic, healthy choices and is a very useful tidbit for me to know. Of course, this might not be other people’s experience. Others might get discouraged by the constant updates, especially if the situation is not exactly a good one. The important thing is to realize, one way or the other, which is the best way on a personal level. I know mine is that I need to check my progress early and often.

Filed under: blogging, budget, goals, health, money, self-improvement, weight